Corona cases in Pakistan witness sharp increase

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases witnessed a sharp increase and rose to 7,404 on Friday, while 11 deaths were also reported during the last 24 hours which took the death toll to 138. Out of total 7,404 confirmed cases,Sindh has reported 2,217 cases, Punjab 3,391, KP 993, Balochistan 351, Islamabad Capital Territory 154, Gilgit-Baltistan 250 and AJK 48. Out of total 138 deaths, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 45, Sindh 47, Balochistan 5, Gilgit-Baltistan 3, Punjab 37 and Islamabad Capital Territory has reported one death. 

Sharing country data for the last 24 hours, Special Assistant to PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said at a media briefing on Friday that 6,264 tests were performed, leading to confirmation of 497 new cases -- 340 in Sindh, 59 in Punjab, 58 in KP, 23 in Balochistan, nine in Islamabad, eight in GB, and none in AJK. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan to date is 7,404.

“There have been 11 deaths in the last 24 hours; 138 Pakistanis have lost their lives to the disease so far while 44 are critically ill and on ventilators and 1.765 have fully recovered,” the SAPM shared. Local transmission has soared to 60 percent. The number of coronavirus cases in KP has reached 993 with emergence of 58 new cases in the province. Similarly, the number of recovered patients from the infection has been reached to 205 in the province. KP has conducted about 5,266 tests so far, while the number of suspected cases whose tests are under investigation is around 1904.

One more COVID-19 patient died in Lahore on Friday, which pushed the death toll to 37 and confirmed cases to 3,391 with the addition of 115 new cases in the province. A 48-year-old male patient, a resident of Ichhra, was brought to Services Institute of Medical Sciences in Lahore few days back. He lost battle for life against the deadly virus on Friday. So far 16 patients have died in Lahore, nine in Rawalpindi, three in Multan, two each in Rahim Yar Khan and Gujrat and one each in Bahawalpur, Jhelum, Faisalabad and Toba Tek Singh. As many as 115 new COVID-19 patients were reported from across the province on Friday, taking the number of confirmed cases to 3391.

Out of total confirmed COVID-19 patients, 1,352 are members of Tablighi Jamaat, 701 pilgrims returning from Iran, 91 prisoners in five districts and 1,247 citizens who either had travel history or fell victim to local transmission. Of the 1,352 confirmed COVID-19 Tablighi Jamaat members, 577 were reported from Raiwind Markaz, 121 Sargodha, 118 Multan, 62 Bhakkar, 61 Muzaffargarh, 45 Rahim Yar Khan, 41 Jhelum, 37 Vehari, 35 Hafizabad, 34 Bahawalpur, 31 Layyah, 23 Khushab, 22 Narowal, 19 Sialkot, 18 Faisalabad, 17 Mandi Bahauddin, 16 Rawalpindi, 14 Gujrat, 13 Bahawalnagar, 12 Sheikhupura, 10 Gujranwala, nine Rajanpur, seven each in Mianwali and Sahiwal and two Nankana Sahib. Out of 701 confirmed patients from amongst pilgrims, 457 were reported from Multan, 221 Dera Ghazi Khan and 23 Faisalabad.

So far 1,247 citizens have also been tested positive for the virus from across the province. The highest number of cases has been reported from Lahore where 541 patients are under treatment at different centres. As many as 142 patients were reported from Gujrat, 138 Rawalpindi, 60 Gujranwala, 42 Rahim Yar Khan, 36 each Sialkot and Faisalabad, 35 Vehari, 33 in Jhelum, 27 Multan, 20 Bahawalpur, 19 DG Khan, 18 Nankana Sahib, 14 Sargodha, 12 each Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin, 11 Mianwali, 10 each Sheikhupura and Kasur, eight each Bahawalnagar and Chiniot, four each Chakwal and Khushab, three Lodhran, two each Toba Tek Singh, Jhang and Khanewal and one each Attock, Pakpattan, Layyah and Okara.

Out of 91 COVID-19 patients in jails, 59 were reported from Lahore, 14 Sialkot, nine DG Khan, seven Gujranwala and two from Bhakkar. As many as 37 prisoners at isolation centre at Camp Jail have been recovered from the virus. These have been shifted back to their cells.

Punjab Health Department has forwarded standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling of COVID-19 patients and saving other prisoners in jails to the Home Department.

According to the spokesperson, more than 48,000 suspected patients have been screened so far, out of which 3,391 were tested positive. He said that 13 serious patients are under treatment at High Dependency Units.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that 209 new cases of coronavirus have emerged during the last 24 hours, out of them 132 patients are from Tablighi Jamaat, while 77 belong to Karachi, particularly of Katchi Abadis (slums) areas. In his video message in which he reached out to people of Sindh and overseas Pakistanis said that during last 24 four hours 2,372 tests were conducted, out of which 209 new cases were detected.

The chief minister said that 21,272 tests were conducted so far and 2,217 came back as positive. Syed Murad Ali Shah disclosed that two more coronavirus patients died due to infection.